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Title 



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Book -•- Jl5!.. /j-.6 



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185-0 



18—47372-1 a 



REPORT 



COMMITTEE ON ESTIMATES 



BOARD OP CONTROLLERS. 



JULY 26, 1850. 



PHILADELPHIA: 

PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OP CONTROLLERS. 
1850. 



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KEPORT 



COMMITTEE ON ESTIMATES 



BOARD OF CONTROLLERS. 



JULY 26, 1850. 



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.rillLADELPIIIA: 

PIUNTED BY OKDJEK OF TUE BOARD OF CONTEOLLEES. 
1850. 



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At a Meeting of the Controllers of Public Schools, 
First District of Pennsylvania, held on Friday, July 26, 
1850, the following Report and Resolution were adopted, 
and ordered to be sent to the County Board. 

From the Minutes. 

R. J. HEMPHILL, Secretary, 



REPORT. 



The Committee on Estimates, to whom was referred the 
following communication from the County Board, viz. : — 

To the Controllers of the Public Schools 

Of the First School District of Pennsylvania : — 

Gentlemen — 

The Committee appointed by the County Board to enquire 
whether the expenses of the Schools cannot be reduced, respect- 
fully submit the following queries for your consideration. 

I. Is not the present system of studies adopted in the 
Schools entirely too onerous for the capacies of most children ? 
And does it not result, in a majority of cases, in imparting but 
a superficial knowledge of the different branches ? 

II. Would it not be better to confine the system of educa- 
tion to the common branches of the English language ? — Say, 
Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Grammar and Geography. By 
doing which, (if no expense were saved to the county,) would 
not the terms of the scholars be shortened, and room made 
for others who are now seeking admission ? 



III. Are children admitted into the schools, whose parents 
do not reside in the city and county of Philadelphia, or in the 
State of Pennsylvania ? 

IV. In what manner are the supplies of Books, Sta- 
tionery, &c., furnished ? And how are the contracts disposed 
of for the building, repairs, &c., of the School Houses ? 

V. What are the prices paid for the different Books, Sta- 
tionery, &c., used in the schools ? 

YI. What amount of Real Estate is owned, and the cost of 
buildings, respectively, with the date of purchase ? 
By order of the Committee. 

F. PIERSON, Secretary. 
Philadelphia, June 22, 1850. 

Respectfully Report, 

That they have considered the queries contained in the 
said communication. 

To the First and Second questions, your Committee are in- 
duced by the experience of past years to give a decided negative. 
During eighteen years, from 1818 to 1836, the Controllers pur- 
sued the system of instruction here indicated. The studies 
were limited to the branches named in these queries. The con- 
sequence was, there was no stimulus to exertion either for 
scholars or teachers — the schools languished, were odious, were 
stigmatized as poor schools, and people could not be induced, 
by any means, to send their children. The beginning of an 
improvement in the schools is contemporary with the beginning 
of a more liberal course of instruction. From the very year 
that the Controllers enlarged the course of studies, and esta- 
blished for this purpose different classes of schools, beginning 
with the Primary and ending with the High School, the system 
began to find favor with the community, and scholars thronged 
for admission. A return to the old system, which is now 
exploded in every part of the country that has made any con- 



siderable progress in the cause of popular education, would, in 
the opinion of your Committee, give the greatest dissatisfaction 
to the community, and be in a high degree unwise, and in vio- 
lation of the spirit of the law establishing the system. 

Every effort has thus far been made by the Board of Con- 
trollers to elevate and not to depress the standard of Common 
School Education. To be valuable to the community, the sys- 
tem must be one that will fit our children for the practical busi- 
ness of life — elevating the man, and blessing the poor as well 
as the wealthy ; thus making and treating all as equal. 

The results of the present admirable system are gradually 
diffusing its benefit among all classes of the community, and is 
surely and firmly establishing itself in the hearts of the people. 
" The system is intended to make each pupil, in his own sphere, 
L a good citizen and a useful man ; and we believe it accom- 

plishes this end." 
y To the Third question, your Committee reply, that none, such 

\ as indicated by the query, are admitted into the schools with 
the knowledge of the Controllers. 

To the Fourth question, we reply that the Books and Sta- 
tionery are purchased by a Committee appointed by the Board 
for that purpose, who invite proposals for supplying such books 
as the Board of Control, from time to time, adopt for the use of 
the schools, regulating the prices by the offers thus made, and 
giving their orders to various Publishers for supplies as they 
may be wanted. Proposals for building School Houses are 
advertised for, and the contracts given to the lowest bidder, 
with security for the faithful performance of the same. 

To the Fifth question, the Committee annex as a reply, a 
List of Prices paid the past year for the following Books, Sta- 
tionery, &c., viz. : — 

|j Per Dozen. 

Algebra, Green's, $5 00 

Arithmetic, Emerson's, part First, - - - - 90 
" " " Second, - - - - 2 75 



Per Dozen. 

Arithmetic, Emerson's, part Third, - - - - $6 50 

" " Key, 2 40 

Arithmetic, Rhoads', Primary, 1 20 

" « Second part, - - - - 2 75 

Arithmetic, United States, part First, - - - 1 50 

" " " Second, - - - 3 00 

" " Key, 2 25 

Bibles, 4 50 

Biography of Pennsylvania, - - - - - 5 00 

Cards, Arithmetical Table, 48 

" Multiplication Table, 30 

" Alphabet and Spelling, 36 

Compendium of English Literature, Cleveland's, - 13 50 

Companion, Scholar's, - - - - - -4 50 

Chalk, prepared, per gross, - - - ^0 75 

Composition, Frost's, - - - - - -3 00 

Copy Books, Controllers', - - . - - - 45 

" Band's, 75 

" Slips, per sett, - - - - 25 

Conversations on Common Things, - - - - 4 50 
Constitution of United States, Hart's, - - - 2 25 

Dictionary, Cobb's Walker, 3 75 

" Walker's, - - - - - - 2 18f 

" Johnson & Walker, large size, single, 1 87| 

" Bobbins' Primary, 275 

Etymology, First Book of, 3 20 

" Class Book of, 4 80 

Geography and Atlas, Mitchell's, - - - - 9 00 

" Mitchell's Primary, - - - - 3 00 

" " Intermediate, - - - - 7 20 

Geography of Pennsylvania, Trego's, - - - 6 00 

Grammar, Hart's, - - - - - . -2 50 

" Smith's, 2 75 

Gradations, Butter's, 125 









Per Dozen. 


History United States, Frost's, - 


- 


. 


$3 00 


" " ■ Goodrich's Pictorial, 


. 


6 50 


" " Olney's, 


- 


- 


2 75 


" Emerson's Outlines of, - 


- 


- 


3 50 


" Lardner's Outlines of, - 


- 


- 


6 00 


" Ruschenberger's first Book of. 


- 


3 00 


Ink, per gallon, - - . 


- 


■ $0 37J 




Ink Wells, .... 


- 


. 


37i 


Jack Halyard, - . _ 


- 


- 


2 25 


Maps, single, with book, - 


- 


- 


7 50 


Marshall's Life of Washington, - 


- 


- 


6 00 


Mensuration, Yogdes's, 


- 


. 


6 75 


Paper, per ream, ... 


- 


2 75 




Pens, per gross, _ - . 


- 


621 




Pen Holders, per gross, - 


- 


87J 




Primary Book, No. 1, - - 


. 


- 


1 25 


Poetry, Hart's Class Book of, - 


- 


_ 


6 75 


Prose, " " " 


- 


. 


6 75 


Pronouncing Gazetteer, Baldwin's, 


- 


- - _ 


12 00 


Readers, Emerson's First Class, 


- 


_ - _ 


3 75 


« " Second " 


. 


_ 


2 50 


« « Third " 


- 


. 


1 60 


" " Fourth " 


- 


_ 


1 00 


" Cobb's, First part, 


- 


. 


1 00 


" " Second " 


. 


" - 


1 12i 


" " Third " 


- 


. 


1 50 


" " Fourth " 


. 


• 


3 00 


" " Fifth " 


- 


. 


6 00 


Slates, large, . _ - 


- 


- 


1 42 


" small, - - - - 


- 


_ _ - 


90 


Slate Pencils, per M., 


. 


90 




Spelling Book, Emerson's, 


- 


_ 


1 37i 


" " Pennsylvania, No. 2, 


- 


. 


1 371 


" " Comly's, - 


- 


- 


1 00 


" " Cobb's, - 


- 


_ 


1 25 


Testaments, - . . . 


_ 


- _ - 


3 00 



10 

To the Sixth, and last question, the Committee submit the 
following as a reply, viz : 

Amount expended for Heal Estate and Furniture, from January 1818, to June 30, 1850. 

For the year ending December 31st, 1818, $17,967 10 



Do 


do 


1819, 


22,416 29 


Do 


do 


1820, 


10,745 28 


Do 


do 


1821, 


5,049 51 


Do 


do 


1822, 


1,332 08 


Do 


do 


1823, 


236 24 


Do 


do 


1824, 


8,399 38 


Do 


do 


1825, 


4,856 99 


Do 


do 


1826, 


352 47 


Do 


do 


1827, 


5,742 17 


Do 


do 


1828, 


6,541 51 


Do 


do 


1829, 


9,110 85 


Do 


do 


1830, 


5,374 43 


Do 


do 


1831, 


312 10 


Do 


do 


1832, 


23,090 07 


Do 


do 


1833, 


40,918 51 


Do 


do 


1834, 


12,307 44 


Do 


do 


1835, 


1,561 27 


Do 


do 


1836, 


23,787 42 


Do 


do 


1837, 


113,909 91 


Do 


do 


1838, 


82,752 70 


Do 


do 


1839, 


27,487 22 


Do 


do 


1840, 


41,797 04 


Do 


do 


1841, 


56,922 72 


For 1| years, 


ending June 30th, 


1843, 


84,669 16 


For the year 


ending June 30th, 


1844, 


18,513 60 


Do 


do 


1845, 


21,105 67 


Do 


do 


1846, 


31,266 78 


Do 


do 


1847, 


45,319 45 


Do 


do 


1848, 


27,855 71 


Do 


do 


1849, 


5,495 93 


Do 


do 


1850, 


38,730 06 




Total, - 


- - $795,927 m 



11 

For a more detailed account of the Expenses, School Houses, 
Cost of Tuition, Pupils, and Teachers, we refer to the Report 
of the Controllers in 1846, folio 100 to 121. For the appro- 
priations wanted by the diflferent Sections for new buildings, and 
the number of children waiting admission into the Schools, we 
refer to the Report of the Committee on Estimates, hereto an- 
nexed. 

The Committee on Estimates in their Report say, that the 
Schools will require for their support, from the city and county, 
the ensuing year, the sum of - - - - $356,315 00 



Included in this Estimate is an appropriation for building one 
or more school houses in each of the Sections, amounting 

to 147,300 00 

For New Furniture, 7,850 00 

For repairs and additions to School Houses, - 13,460 00 

For Night Schools, 21,400 00 

The County Board have appropriated, on account, for the Pub- 
Schools for the present year, the sum of - $270,000 00 
Leaving a deficit of 86,315 00 

It therefore appears, from the above statement, and the cha- 
racter of the queries submitted by the County Board, that no 
appropriation has been made for new school houses, for furni- 
ture, repairs and additions to school houses, or for night schools. 

"With regard to the new school buildings there can be no ques- 
tion as to an existing necessity for them ; there are 3807 children 
now waiting admission into the Schools. In addition to which 
there is known to be a large number also waiting admission, who 
have made no formal application, knowing the Schools to be 
full. 

The sum asked for Furniture Avill be required to furnish the 
new school houses, to supply deficiencies in the present schools, 
and for repairing and replacing the old and broken. 



12 

The item for Repairs and Additions, is necessary to keep the 
buildings in order, painting, repairs, &c. A portion is wanted 
for new class rooms to the present buildings in several of the 
Sections. In some of the schools alterations are wanted, to 
make the buildings comfortable, and to separate the sexes. 

The Night Schools have met with general favor, and their 
usefulness and importance conceded on all hands ; the law 
authorizes their establishment, and the Board of Controllers 
therefore deemed it a duty to provide for them. 

The tax for the support of Public Schools, if the sum asked 
for shall be appropriated, will be 2//o- niills per dollar on the 
assessed value of the property in the city and county of Phila- 
delphia, being less than the tax raised for the same purpose in 
many other towns and districts in the Union. 

The Committee submit the following resolution : 

Resolved, That the County Board be requested to decide 
upon making the appropriation for the balance of the sum 
required for school purposes, that the diiferent sections may 
make the necessary arrangements for commencing the buildings 
to be erected, and for opening the night schools on the first of 
October. 

By order of the Committee, 

WM. MARTIN, Chairman. 



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